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2005 MS 150 Bike Accident Recap - 2005/04/21 16:32
This helps received 4/20/05 6:39 PM
Message from the Lone Star Chapter President
It has come to our attention that a number of rumors are circulating after this weekend’s BP MS 150 Bike Tour. The nature of this misinformation is such that I want to personally address it.
First, there were no fatalities during the 2005 BP MS 150 Bike Tour.
The facts are these:
This year, 12,100 cyclists were on the route from Houston to Austin. Of that number, there were 39 medical transports. By comparison, in 2004, there were 11,500 cyclists and 34 medical transports. Of this weekend’s 39 transports, only one person remains in the hospital for conditions unrelated to the Bike Tour.
When it comes to the welfare of a participant or volunteer, the Lone Star Chapter will always err on the side of caution. Each incident is taken with the utmost seriousness. The Lone Star Chapter has and always will continue to take the highest precautionary measures when dealing with any emergency situations.
While the sight of a medical helicopter or ambulance can be dramatic, they are necessary measures that the chapter has implemented for the immediate treatment of everyone along the event route.
The safety of all BP MS 150 participants is a primary concern of the Lone Star Chapter. The chapter does everything that it can to ensure that riders are safe on the Texas roads, including taking the step this year to limit the number of participants. This weekend, hundreds of medical professionals – including doctors, nurses, paramedics and other trained personnel – assisted with the treatment and care of our riders along every leg of the route. In addition, a well-coordinated and extensively-planned network of Texas law enforcement officers, motorcycle escorts, Ride Marshals, chapter staff, HAM radio operators and other support personnel ensured that all incidents were handled quickly, efficiently and effectively.
The Lone Star Chapter also worked closely with the Safety Task Force Committee, comprised of Team Captains and cycling personnel, on safety training for participants. Safety clinics were held for teams and individuals to review safe riding techniques in the months and weeks leading up to the Tour. In addition, safety information was published on the BP MS 150 Web site, in the 2005 Tour Guide and regularly in the Tour e-newsletters.
Everyone at the Lone Star Chapter is committed to your safety on the Bike Tour, just as you are committed to our mission to fight multiple sclerosis. We greatly appreciate your continued support and trust you will help us as we take this extraordinary measure of addressing and stopping this unfounded wave of misinformation.
Sincerely,
Pat Bertotti
President
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Lone Star Chapter
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Knowing how accidents happen can go a long ways towards educating everyone on prevention. One also wonders how the injured have faired.